Social Problems And Their Peaceful Solution.

which , like " Poor Jo , must be moved on "—where , it matters not . Matters not?—" Can Ave reflect unmoved upon the round Of smooth and solemnized complacencies By Avhich , on Christian lands , from age

to age , Profession mocks performance . Earth is sick , And Heaven is weary of the hollow words Which States and Kingdoms utter when they talk Of Charity . "

Let us then look pityingly upon oui poorer brother and" Deem him not , A burden of the earth ,

"but" In him Behold a record which together binds Past deeds and offices of charity Else unremembered . "

And here let us at once be understood to be pleading only the cause of the reall y poor . For those lazy rascals , AVIIO never have worked ancl never will , the treadmill is the best and indeed the only provision to be made ; but , for the old , the sick , ancl

the unfortunate , Ave hold it to be not only a religious , but even a political , duty to make provision . Legislate ! Of course Ave must legislate , but it must be with a view to the mitigation of human misery , not that crushing

down ancl burying out of sight and out of mind of its miserable victims , that Ave so vainly attempt at present . The English heart is soft enough to be touched by the urgent need of pocket-handkerchiefs and flannel nightcaps , felt by the inhabitants of "Borria-bhoolab-gah , " but for the starving fellow at his doorstep ? AVell , hear our truly English

poetess" AVe are busy in helping the far-away slave , — AA e must cherish the Pole , for he ' s foreign and brave ; Ouralmsgivingrecord is widely unrolled—To the east and the west we send mercy and gold ;

But methinks there arc those in our own famous land , AVhose thin cheeks might be fattened by Charity ' s hand ; And when John Bull is dealing his generous shares , Let him ' Trouble his head with his OAVII affairs ! ' "

AVhen then we have quite " strained out the gnats" let us just give a look to " the camels , " and try whether Ave cannot alleviate some of the fearful misery that exists amongst us , and let us manage to do it without robbing the recipients of their self-respector placarding their names

, as malefactors against the public weal as a certain so-called "Charitable" Company , with apparently a very limited liability ( i . e ., of doing good ) has just been doing—the best motto of which said Company Avould probably be the

disagreeable answer of the canvassed miser : — "What I give , sir , is Nothing to Nobody !" AATiat we AVOUM advocate would be Almshouses for the aged , ivhich might be established , or rather re-established , for they used to exist in every parish ; in

which poor old couples might spend their declining days in . the peaceful enjoyment of each other ' s company without ever making the sad , but alas ! noAv too frequent , discovery that " Those whom God hath joined together " their laAv-apjAointed " Guardians" ruthlessly " put asunder . " For the sick , have an Infirmary in connexion with these Almhouses . And to

those in temporary distress afford temporary relief , without that enforced breaking up of their homes , and despoiling of their household goods , which effectually prevents the reci pients of parish-relief from ever again starting in life , ancl transforms them into life-long paupers .

Orphans ancl deserted children should be boarded out in families where they would be well treated , ancl there is doubtless many a childless couple AVIIO would gladly take to their bosoms one of those poor Avaifs of humanity , that are kept ; like

caged birds till all childishness , if it ever existed , is gone for ever , and there is engendered instead of independence , a slavish tolerance of restraint , Avhich but too surely , sooner or later , brings back to the Avorkhouse board those who have been Avorkhouse bred . 2 K 2